Falling
by the inversed butterfly
Summary: Mei Ying is everything and nothing to Cheng. But it will take perseverance and a lot of blows to his ego, to convince himself that they can possibly have an ending. — ChengMeiYing
1. Chapter 1

I ship these two so hard and I wish there would be more fics of them, but I've resorted to writing my own. It's inspired by **Gravity** by _Rendered Heartless_ (I know you read that magnificent story and if you haven't, do it _now_) and I wanted to give this pairing a try. I tried to go by the story line, although I'll be creating my own plot and events, so I'm sorry if the dialogue and sequencing is different from the movie.

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><p>"Master Li's been a little harsh lately, dontcha think?" Zhuang inquires, shielding his eyes from the blistering sun. Cheng, who's protected under a tree, nonchalantly replies, "Not really," He leans against the tree and crosses his arms against his chest. Liang looks around absently before joining the conversation. "Nothing's changed," He says.<p>

Zhuang shrugs before shifting his weight to his left foot, "Guess it's just me"

A little bit later, Shen, a boy who comes to the park often, comes over and asks, "One of you guys wanna play? It's 2 on 2 with the American boys over there," Cheng shifts his eyes to the basketball court, where the new kid and the white boy, who's name he can't remember, stands waiting. He looks over to Liang and Zhuang with a questioning look and they both shake their heads.

"No, thanks." Cheng says, with underlying sarcasm. Shen nods, wondering why he had even asked anyway, because _they_ would never join. When he's out of earshot, Zhuang snorts and says, "As if we'd ever play with him. Though it would be nice to defeat the new kid," Liang laughs in agreement, while Cheng smirks.

"Speaking of which, what're you gonna do to him, Cheng?," Zhuang asks, expectantly, with a hopeful look on his face.

Cheng murmurs, "I don't know yet." while looking over to the girl, sitting on the bench, practicing her violin. Zhuang follows his line of vision muttering, "What're you look..." His eyes widen a little and he says _Oh_ a little too loudly. Zhuang nudges Liang, who's been spacing out, on the arm and gets his attention. Liang looks a little irritated but looks over to him and mouths, "_What?_"

Before Zhuang can reply, Cheng taps him on the shoulder and says, "Look."

They turn their heads over to the ping-pong table. The American Boy is challenging Qiao_(1)_. Zhuang laughs loudly and exclaims, "What does he think he's doing!" He steps closer, to the other tree, so he can watch. Liang laughs quietly and says, "He's quite confident. What makes him think he can stand a chance?" Cheng doesn't answer, as he is watching as the American Boy look over to the girl on the bench, practicing with her violin. Something bubbles up inside of him, but he pushes the feeling away as he turns to Liang and replies, "Well, he won't be too cocky once Qiao humiliates him," Then, Cheng walks over to Zhuang, Liang following after shortly.

-xxx-

Mei Ying smiles a little as she watches the American boy play against Qiao. Of course, he wouldn't win, because Qiao is the best at playing around here. But she smiles because she has a small feeling that he's doing it for her.

She doesn't forget about how _he_ has been staring for a while now. Mei Ying always finds _him_ looking at her and it takes all her will not to look back. Cheng. She's known him for a long time and their parents are very good friends. But _they_ are not friends. Not even close. They barely even talk and when they do, it's a very short and useless conversation and she is the only one initiating.

So, she attempts to ignore him, though it is completely futile as Cheng is like a walking magnet and you just cannot take your eyes of him. It takes a whole lot of effort to do so. She knows he's not looking anymore because his attention is fully on the American boy. She lets her vision slide over to him, just a little, to see that amused smirk on his face. It's rare to see him like this, because he's very stoic and apathy just follows him everywhere.

When the American boy loses, he walks over to the white guy, who she thinks goes by _Harry_ or something. They talk for a while, until the American boy glances at her. She looks away and tries to lose his attention, but she cannot stop him from walking over.

-xxx-

"Hah! What a loser," Zhuang guffaws as Qiao beats the American boy harshly. Liang laughs with him as they walk over to where their friends are at. Cheng follows, his smirk still on his face. Liang goes back to the tree, taking Cheng's previous place. "Hey Cheng, can you show me that move you made when you were fighting against Shi Yong?," Zhuang announces, excitedly taking his stance. Cheng, who is full of ego, smirks and asks, "Which one?" cockily.

"This?" Cheng says as he crouches down on his knees, sweeps his leg over, stands up, and does a backflip all in one moment. Zhuang shakes his head and protests, "No, no! The one you used whe-" He is interrupted when Liang shakes Cheng's arm as if there was an emergency. Cheng looks over to where Liang is pointing and his mood went south. The American Boy is speaking to Mei Ying.

Zhuang makes a sound of annoyance and mutters, "What's he doing now?" They both stand and watch as the American boy converses with Mei Ying. The girl who sits on that bench, every Sunday, and practices playing her violin.

They watched as Mei Ying smiles at the boy, uncertainly, as he takes something out of his pocket. Cheng narrows his eyes as he presses a button on the phone and gives it to Mei Ying. She never looks away from the boy's face.

Liang stifles a laugh when the American boy starts to dance in front of her, in attempt to woo. Zhuang dances too, mocking him. They laugh together, but stop as they see Cheng walking over to them. They both glance at each other quickly, while Zhuang quietly cheers because something interesting is bound to happen. They follow Cheng, quietly laughing, leaning against the tree close to the bench.

Mei Ying notices the boys coming over and stops the music emitting from the cell phone. The American boy was absolutely clueless about everything.

Cheng stops right in front of her and murmurs, "You're supposed to be practicing," accusingly.

She looks up at him, away from the new kid, and replies, "I am practicing," Lifting her music sheets, proving her statement. Cheng glances at them and rips them out of her hands. "What is this? You don't need this!" He says, throwing it to the floor. Behind them, Liang and Zhuang laugh. She stands up in anger and confusion, "What's your problem?" Her hands ball into fists.

The American boy looks back and forth between them, since he cannot understand what they are saying. Feeling useless, he picks up the sheets and slowly gives them to Mei Ying. Before they reach her, Cheng quickly takes them, throws them to the floor and shouts, "**Leave it!**"

He looks over to Mei Ying again, while she shouts incoherant ramblings about him being jerk, which he doesn't really care about. When he sees the American boy attempt to pick up the papers again in his peripheal vision, his blood went cold. "**I said, **_**leave it**_**!**," He shouts louder, his temper getting the best of him, slapping the papers out of his hand. "_**Dude!**_" the American boy groans in frustration. Afterward, Mei Ying groans, "_Ugh_!,"and turns around to put away her violin away. Liang and Zhuang have moved from their spots, coming closer to the bench and people have come forward to see what the commotion was. The American boy pays no heed to Cheng's murderous glare, as he bends down and picks up the papers again, trying to give them to Mei Ying, with what's left of his confidence.

In a fit of anger, Cheng pushes the boy away, with his hand on his face. The American falls to the ground, looking surprised and possibly scared. Zhuang shouts, encouraging Cheng, and knowing how competetive he gets, he won't back down. Mei Ying yells in abhorrence and attempts to run to the boy, but Liang and Zhuang pull her back, forcing her to stay behind their barriers.

Cheng looks down at the boy, his eyes livid. The boy stands up and gets in his amateur stance. He does not know what he's getting into. The white guy, Harry, comes up to Cheng explaining to him that the American boy doesn't know anything about this place and that he doesn't know _him_, but Cheng rolls his eyes and commands him to leave.

Mei Ying cries out, "Stop it!," and tries to break free from Liang's hold. Cheng smirks as he lets his mind go override and the last thing he remembers was Mei Ying's desperate eyes and his feet taking him away from the park.

-xxx-

"You really did a number on him," Liang hums, with a thoughtful look on his face. Zhuang cheers, "I thought it was awesome!," He has that stupid grin on his face, that one grin that always appears after Cheng beats someone up. "You think all Cheng's fights are awesome," Liang drawls, putting his hands behind his head to make him more comfortable. They're in Cheng's room, where they usually hang out after going to the park on Sundays.

It's a bit roomy, a little too big as there is a big space in the middle where only a red circular rug sits on the floor. On the rug there is a design of a dragon. The walls are a dark kind of red and the carpet is of a cream color. There is a twin-bed in the corner, where Cheng is sitting. Next to the bed, is the desk, where Zhuang sits, and there is a computer and a cabinet on the other side of the room. Liang lounges about on the floor, next to Cheng, sitting against the side of the bed.

"If only Mei Ying hadn't interfered," Zhuang pouts, sighing as if there was something missing from his life. "Yeah," Liang agrees, looking at Cheng. When he doesn't get a response, he sighs, and murmurs, "She'll get over it" Which inevitably catches Cheng's attention, "What?"

"You are worried about Mei Ying, correct?"

Cheng purses his lips and then a defiant look gets on his face, "No. I don't care about her or what she thinks," Liang has this knowing look on his face, but he just shrugs and says, "Okay..."

He gets up and announces, "It's getting kind of late. Zhuang, didn't you leave something at my house?" Zhuang stands up from the chair and answers, "Oh, yeah. Man, my mom's been bugging me about that. See ya at school, Cheng" Cheng waves and nods a goodbye to Liang, whom returns the gesture subsequently.

When his friends are gone, Cheng flops down onto his bed, staring at his maroon colored ceiling. He sighs and mentally thinks about how much missing assignments he has and what his dad will do when he finds out. He gets up, grabs his backpack and sits in front of his desk, with a look of determination and a pencil in his hand.

Plus, he really needs to get _her_ off his mind.

-xxx-

Mei Ying mentally curses Cheng for his behavior. It angers her whenever he sees him hurt someone innocent, without reason. She has known him long enough to know that he has no concious and simply does whatever he pleases to do just for his own sick amusement. And his friends. _God_. She doesn't necessarily _hate_ them, but she thinks that she has a obligation to hate them. Everything they do is against her morals. They are all so egotistical, especially Cheng, and all so arrogant strolling in the halls thinking they own the place.

Liang, Mei Ying thinks he's the most tolerable out of the three. They are all best friends, but she thinks that the only thing they really have in common is their love for Kung Fu and their arrogance. Liang is the most... level-headed. He's pretty smart and thinks before he acts, but he's just as bad as the rest of them. He's very blunt and serious about things. He's rude and snide, but that isn't new.

Zhuang... he's a pretty peculiar guy, he finds everything hilarious and has a sick sense of humor. He admires Cheng and likes to cheer him on when he fights. He's loyal, annoying, and a brat. He's a sadist of some sort, even when he's not the one inflicting pain.

She looks at the clock on one of the walls. It is almost lunch time and she's a little hungry. She didn't eat breakfast today, because she had to practice her violin. Lately, her teacher is very strict and if she even gets _one_ note wrong, he will give her a long lecture and tell her father, which is the last thing she needs right now.

When the bell rings, she gets up, says goodbye to her friends, and walks out. She walks into the cafeteria and smiles slightly at what she sees. The American boy seems to have trouble getting his food with the chopsticks. She walks over to him and pokes him in the shoulder. He jolts in surprise and turns around, thinking that it might be that boy who hurt him at the park. "**Hey**," Mei Ying smiles. The boy laughs, nervously and says, "**Hi**,"

He turns away, hiding his face as he is blushing, and resorts to trying to use the chopsticks again. He hears a giggle behind him and turns around slightly, "**Here**," She says, taking the chopsticks from his hands and getting his food for him. "**I don't know how you guys use these**," He says, raising his eyebrow at how Mei Ying handles the utencils. "**I'm Mei Ying**," She says and grabs her own tray. The boy watches her and after a while he manages to get out, "**I-I'm Dre**" He points at himself.

She giggles again and moves on in the line, getting her food, while Dre follows her, just staring. Afterward, she bites her lip and her face becomes sympathetic and a little bit regretful. "**Sorry about Cheng**," She says, looking at him sadly. Dre looks at his food and turns to her, "**So that's his name...**," His face comes across the emotions of realization, perplexity, and curiousity. "**Is he your boyfriend?**," He asks, looking at her intently.

Mei Ying stops getting food and turns to him with questioning eyes, "**No**," She's confused at how he would think of such a thing. Surely Cheng wouldn't feel that way about her... She's not sure if he's capable of doing such thing anyway. She notices the look on Dre's face and clarifies. "**Our parents are close**," She says. Dre nods slowly she finishes getting her food. "**Well, he definitely likes you**," Dre concludes, following her. Mei Ying blushes at the thought and giggles as to reassure herself that it's such a silly notion and would never be true. "**I have to practice**," She says, walking towards the door to hide her red face. "**Wait, you practice while eating?**" He asks, befuddlement apparent on his face. Mei Ying twirls around and has a look of puzzlement. "**...Yeah..**" She furrows her eyebrows in confusion, trying to figure what was wrong with the fact that she eats while she practices. "**But... my mom says when you eat standing up... you get gas**," He says, dumbfounded and clearly unknown of how stupid he sounded.

Mei Ying smiles and says, "**You're funny**," She walks away, her smile vanishing slowly as if someone had wiped it off. Dre smiles at himself quietly, thinking that maybe he'd like living here, just a little bit. He turns to sit at one of the tables, but the next thing he knows, his lunch is on the floor and possibly on his shirt. He looks up and sees Cheng with a smirk on his face. "**Sorry**," He says, teasingly. Dre sees the other two boys, who always follow the Cheng, laugh as well. "**Dude!**," Dre shouts angrily, and threatningly walks in front of him. Mrs. Po interferes and stops Dre from doing anything else. "**Mr. Parker!**," She says, pushing him away from Cheng. "**He's the one who practically slapped my lunch out of my hands!**," Dre points accussingly at Cheng, who Mrs. Po turns her head to, looking for answers.

"I already said sorry and he's still causing me trouble!," Cheng uses his innocent tone and his puppy dog look. Since Mrs. Po didn't witness the accident, she cannot accuse anyone of anything. "**Mr. Parker, go.**," Mrs. Po says, pointing outside, while she looks at Cheng with a warning look, "**Mr. Cheng**," She says, pointing to lunch tables. Cheng strolls away, smirking, while faintly from behind him, he hears "**I HATE THIS PLACE!**," from outside.

He can't help breaking into a grin and Zhuang pats him on the back, cheering like he always does. Liang flanking his other side, with a smirk on his face as well, as they are welcomed to their table.

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><p><em>(1)<em> I have no idea what the old man's name was so I improvised.

Uh, yeah. Go Cheng/Mei Ying! :D and I looooove the trio coz they're so adorable. -insert glomping-


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! I updated. This chapter is a little shorter than the last one, but I hope it's still okay. I want to thank **talking-hat**, **fickle hearts**,_ Casey R._, and dear _Anon_ for reviewing my first chapter. It made me really happy. Anyways, here goes!

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><p>Cheng purses his lips as he stands outside of Mei Ying's house. Tonight, his family was supposed to have dinner there, but something came up and his mother had asked (<em>forced)<em> him to notify Mei Ying's. He doesn't really know why _he_, in particular, has to do it, because they live close to each other and his mother really could've done it herself, but he obeys just as a normal chinese child should to his/her parents.

He hesitantly knocks on the door, wondering why he's fretting over such a silly thing. The sound of the knocking drones in his ears, as it is very quiet outside. Mei Ying's family is fairly wealthy, her father being a business man, along with his own. Their house is big, not like a mansion, but it's suitable and showcases their wealth. His breath hitches when he hears footsteps and the sound of the door unlocking. He blinks and finds himself staring into Mei Ying's eyes.

She is curious, but when she notices who he is, her face suddenly becomes angry.

"What is it?," She mutters, glaring at him with all she has. He rolls his eyes inwardly, but uses his _'nice_' voice, in case one of her parents were listening in. "Is your mother home?," He asks, quietly. She raises her eyebrow at him and shakes her head. "No, why?," Her voice losing it's hostility. "We won't be able to attend dinner tonight," He tells her, looking at her intently.

She stares into his endless, emotionless, eyes and replies, "Alright, I'll tell her once she comes back," He nods and turns around to walk away, walking rather quickly as it's awkward for him. He doesn't miss the faint, "Bye, Cheng" echoing behind him.

-xxx-

Every morning, Cheng and his friends walk to school together. So he waits outside his house for Liang and Zhuang, since they don't live that far away either. Certainly, their homes were not as close as Mei Ying's, so it took some time. He shifts his backpack to the side, so he can be more comfortable standing up. He watches as Mei Ying exits her house, in a happy mood, skipping to her father's car. Her hair bouncing after her in sheer radiance.

He looks away because he starts to feel something fluttering in his chest. He glimpses to the right, in case Liang and Zhuang might be coming up the corner. They don't arrive until about 8 minutes later when he hears Zhuang's loud chatter and Liang's footsteps. He then readies himself for another boring day at school.

"Chenggggg!," Zhuang grins, putting an arm around his shoulders. He grunts and murmurs, "Hey," and nods at Liang. He stands inbetween them, because that's how it is. Zhuang is on his right and Liang on his left. "Did any of you do Ms. Zhen's homework?," Zhuang asks, trying to hide his nervousness. Liang scoffs and replies, "I'm not letting you copy," Then he groans and turns to Cheng expectantly. "Zhuang, you know that Master Li doesn't tolerate academic deficiencies," Cheng asserts, looking at him.

Zhuang sighs and mumbles, "Yeah, I know..."

After a lapse of silence, there is bustling chatter and laughter emitts from them until they reach the front gates.

-xxx-

"_**Mei Ying!**_" She turns around, abruptly stopping in place. She smiles lightly at the American Boy, who tries to keep up with her. "**Hi**," She greets, as Dre walks next to her. He grins up at her, since he is a little shorter, and asks, "**What class do you have for 1st period?**," She wonders why he is asking her this, since she knows he isn't in any of her classes. "**Arithmetic**," She says, slowly. He purses his lips and wonders for a second. "**Oh, math!**," She giggles at him and nods.

"**I wish I had a class with you. Or maybe Harry. You know him right?**," She remembers the white boy from the park. "**Not really. But I know **_**of**_** him**," She answers. He nods thoughtfully and stops in front of a door. "**I'll see you at Lunch. Right?**," He utters, looking away hopefully. She was going to sit with her friends, but she figured he needed someone to talk to. "**Sure**," She replies, as happily as she could.

She smiles a little at his "**Yes!**" and walks to her class. She steps quietly, staring at the ground, holding her books. Placing a foot in front of another, in a pattern. Her thoughts concerning of Dre and violin practice, but she stops, when she hears a familiar voice and the way it slowly fades out as she approaches the owner.

She looks up to see Cheng and his friends staring. Or really Cheng staring and the other two looking to see what was up. It's like time froze and then the atmosphere became tense. She knows she's supposed to be mad at him, but what can she do? It's Cheng. And it's extremely hard to stay mad at a guy like himself.

She opens her mouth to say something, but ultimately, nothing comes out. The awkward silence is broken when Zhuang opens his big mouth. "Look, it's Mei Ying!," He laughs, teasingly, stepping closer to her. She thinks that is the stupidest thing to say, because it is obviously her standing there, what's the use of saying that? Liang follows the laughing trail afterward, staring at her intently. It is as if they are waiting for Cheng to do something.

When he walks away, Zhuang is left confused and disappointed, running after him. Liang stays and stares at Mei Ying for a minute then leaves without saying a word.

-xxx-

It's lunch and makes her way to the cafeteria. She is not alone though. Dre is next to her, talking animatedly about something, while she is left thinking how he had found her so quickly. "**So... what are you doing after school?**," He asks, trying not to sound desperate. But it sounds nothing but to Mei Ying. She looks at him with sorry eyes and says, "**I'm sorry. I have practice**,". He groans in annoyance and disappointment and asks if she can skip this one time. "**No, my father would not allow me to do such thing. But I am free on Thursday, afterschool**," She says, lightly hoping that he'd accept.

He looks up at her and grins, "**Okay!**," as he goes into the lunch line, her following suit.

They don't talk while getting their food, rather because Dre is much too happy to talk and Mei Ying is busy pondering about something else. "**They have an arcade around here right?**," He asks, sitting down at one of the tables. Mei Ying sits herself across from him and replies, "**Yes**," _It is where Cheng and his friends hang out the most other than his house_, she thinks. Dre nods and purses his lips, "**We should go there. Y'know. On Thursday**," He suggests. She thinks about it for a second and without a second thought, agrees. Because what are the odds that Cheng and his groupie would be there?

When the bell rings, she smiles at Dre lightly and makes her way to her next class. It's the English class that she dislikes, not because she doesn't like learning the foreign language, but because she has no friends in that class. She's alone and typically she has no one to talk to other than the teacher and possibly other students she knows nothing about. Liang and Cheng are also in that class, but it's not like that notice her anyway.

She walks in the class, greets the teacher respectively, and sits in her assigned seat. She's the first one there, but that's not unusual. After about three minutes or so, her peers come flooding in the class room, right before the period starts. She sits in the front, while so Cheng and Liang sit in the back, laughing as usual with their stupid jokes. She rolls her eyes when she hears Cheng whisper something about a boy that sits next to her. His name is Zhao and no one really talks to him. She feels bad for the boy really and she reminds her so much of Dre, being an outcast and all. Except for the fact that Zhao has no friends. Not even one.

She looks at him through her peripheal vision and wonders if she should say Hi or something. She has nothing else to lose, so she turns to him slightly. "Hi Zhao," She greets, smiling, and he peers at her, looking away from the textbook. He looks frightened for a second and fidgets before replying, "H-hey Mei Y-ying," She smiles again, more cheerfully before turning away to look at the teacher.

She doesn't hear Cheng or Liang discuss Zhao for the rest of the day.

-xxx-

Cheng laughs with Liang as they enter their 5th period together. Zhuang doesn't have English, considering his intelligence is far away from Cheng and Liang, but he does have Calligraphy and Biology together. He sits down in the back next to Liang. He stretches in his seat and lazily puts his hands behind his head and his feet on top of the table. Liang sits, facing toward him, with a bored face. "Mrs. Yu will scold you if you keep that up," He drawls. Cheng rolls his eyes and puts his feet down. "Happy now, _Mom?_," He replies. Liang shakes his head in amusement and turns to the front.

The bell hasn't rung yet, but that doesn't mean that they could go crazy in class and run amok. Cheng leans towards Liang and whispers, "_Look at Zhao. He's already studying and the bell didn't even ring yet_," Liang snickers and says, "_What a nerd_," They both laugh and lean away from each other. When Cheng looks back at Zhao, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Mei Ying was talking to him.

-xxx-

"Hey Mei," Mei Ying hears from behind her. She spins around and smiles when she sees her friend Hana. "Hi," Mei Ying says back. Hana grins and links their arms together. Hana and Mei Ying both have their last class together and they even sit next to each other. They skip together to their class, but Mei Ying stops when she feels Hana stiffen. "What is it?," She asks and follows her trail of sight.

There is a circle of students and they seem to be cheering and shouting as if there was a fight. Mei Ying's eyes widen when she sees Cheng's shirt somewhere in the middle of the commotion. She pulls Hana with her and pushes against the other kids, frantically and gasps when she sees what is happening.

Cheng is beating up Zhao.

She shouts at Cheng angrily and pulls him away. "What are you doing?," She yells, pushing him. He sneers at her and walks away, his friends following after him. She glares at his backside until he is gone and most of the kids have left. Mei Ying gingerly touches Zhao on the arm but he flinches and stammers, "P-please... g-go away...," She frowns and looks at Hana, who is obviously confused and sympathetic. She gets up slowly, takes one more look at Zhao before heading off reluctantly.

Mei Ying bites her lip and resolves that she absolutely _hates_ Cheng now and this is the last straw. Hana looks at her from the side worriedly as they walk quickly to class.

-xxx-

The next day Mei Ying doesn't talk to Cheng, doesn't look at him or any of his friends. She wills herself not to think about him, even, and she was successful. She spent her day with Hana, as Dre didn't approach her at all.

They are walking around the quad while eating a snack. "So... I heard you're stuck in a love triangle," Hana mentions, looking at Mei Ying intently. Mei Ying spits out her food and looks at her shocked. "Excuse me?," She scoffs, laughing. Such a silly thing to say...

Hana clicks her tongue and replies, "You're the talk of the school. People have been talking about how Cheng, the new boy, and Zhao are fighting over you," Mei Ying scrunches her eyebrows together in confusion and repulsion. "And why haven't _I_ heard of any of this?," She says, crossing her arms against her torso. Considering she was the subject of the matter. Hana shakes her head and says, "You we're never really in with the gossip. But I just want to know... is... is it true?," Mei Ying looks at her with questioning eyes. "What is?," She asks.

Hana looks away blushing. "Do... Does Cheng like you?," Mei Ying studies her friend for a while until she concludes, "Of course not," Cheng cannot feel, can he? He's a merciless, sadistic, jerk that likes to hurt the people around her. Why would he do _that_ if he liked her? Hana looks up and smiles, then frowns again. "_Do you like him_?" She asks this time, her tone changing into something that seemed like hope and expectation. Mei Ying looks at Hana as if she had been offended. Why would she like _Cheng_? Cheng, the jerk. "No!," Mei Ying says, loudly, almost sounding fake, as her voice was an octave higher than usual. Hana looks unfazed and unbelieving as she narrows her eyes and says, "...okay,"

It is quiet now and they don't talk until the bell rings and part to their seperate ways.

* * *

><p>Please review~<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is a little longer than the last, but nothing compared to my first. Hopefully, I'll be able to write a longer one next time. Thank you for reading!

Oh and to **talking-hat:** I like Zhao too! He'll be in the story a lot. There will be a little less of Dre, which is ironic, considering he's the main character of the movie. But in here it's all about Mei Ying and Cheng. I'm not sure if I'll incorporate the kiss. I'm still thinking about it. ~spoiler~ but there will definitely be a chapter about the Qixi Festival. 8D

Note: I noticed a lot of typos in my last chapter. (I will fix them, don't worry!) Although, I didn't manage to catch any in this one. If any of you have, please let me know, so I will fix it. (Or don't, that's alright too. I'll find it eventually)

* * *

><p><em>I hope Zhao is alright...<em> Mei Ying thinks quietly to herself. The speculation of his state of health was bothering her all day. She hasn't seen him around school and the only time she _actually does_ see him is in her English class. She sighs heavily when she gives up on looking for him. She'll have to wait until later on.

She looks at the watch her father had given to her on her birthday and notices how it's almost time for practice. She groans because, that's the last thing she wants to do right now. She had never liked playing the violin. Maybe, once upon a time, she enjoyed it, learning about it, but it's become a nuisance. She ignores that though, because she can never go against her parents wishes. If they want her to go to the Beijing Academy of Music, then that is where she will go.

She looks to her right when she hears her name being called out and sees her friend Hana running up to her. "Hey! Mei!," Hana smiles, huffing and pulling the strap of her backpack tighter, preventing it from sliding off her shoulder. Mei Ying smiles back and says, "Hey," It's awkward between them now, since their last conversation was a little tense. Hana doesn't know what to say and Mei Ying is too tired to say anything. "Uh... well. What's up?," Hana attempts, nervously. She chuckles, trying to save herself from embrassment. Mei Ying looks at her and replies, "Nothing really. Almost time for my violin practice though,"

Hana's eyes glitter with admiration when she turns to Mei Ying and squeals, "Oh! I heard you playing one time I passed the auditorium. You sound amazing," Mei Ying giggles and sheepishly waves off the compliment. "Not really," Hana gives her a look, before there is a shuffle behind them and a small squeak of "**Hi!**,"

Mei Ying turns around abruptly and looks at Dre with relief and confusion. "**Where have you been?**," She asks. Well, it's not like he's been gone for long. He just wasn't at school, or anywhere around her, yesterday and possibly the day before. Hana awkwardly tries to look cool, being pushed to the sidelines. "**Uh. Well, long story, actually. I'll tell you about it later**," Dre laughs. Mei Ying smiles and then remembers her other company. "**Hana, this my friend, Dre.**," Mei Ying gestures to Dre, who observes the tall-ish girl with the straight black hair and pale, pale, face. "**Dre, this is my friend, Hana.**," Mei Ying finishes her introductions.

Dre nods at Hana and Hana nods at him back. Mei Ying sweatdrops at their interactions.

"**Er, well, I guess I'll just see you after school,"** Dre renders, getting ready to leave. Tension wasn't really his thing, plus he felt like he wasn't wanted. Mei Ying looks confused. "**What?**," She asks. He purses his lip and looks a little hurt. "**Uh.. we were going to hang out. Y'know. At the arcade**," He replies, slowly, looking down. Her eyes widen by a fraction and she feels the guilt wash over. "**Oh, I'm sorry, Dre. I seem to have forgotten.**," Her eyes are sorry and he shakes it off. "**Nah, it's okay. I'll see you in the front, okay?**," He turns around and she murmurs, "**Okay**," uncertainly.

When Dre is gone, Hana laughs and says, "You guys going on a date?,"

Mei Ying's cheeks burn a little. "N-no... nothing of the sort. Just a friendly outing, that's all...," She says, defensively. Hana shrugs and replies, "Suree..." while skipping ahead of Mei Ying to her class.

-xxx-

_Zhao turns around the corner, struggling to carry his books. He's still a little baffled at why Mei Ying, the girl he's been sitting next to for the whole year, had talked to him. He was sure she didn't even know he existed. Not that he cared really, he was used to all the shunning and the name-calling. But this was the first time he was jumped. _

_When he turns around the corner, he didn't expect the company that awaited him. There they were. Cheng, the bully. King of the school. Along with his disciples. Zhao wonders if he went the wrong way, because he was sure that Cheng's next class was nowhere near his. _

_They are just staring at him and he doesn't know what to do. Should he walk away? Should he say something? _

_"Look at little Zhao," Cheng smirks, stepping toward him, with those threatning eyes of his. Zhao watches as his friends laugh behind him. Then Zhuang grins cheekily and teases, "Need some help there?," Referring to his struggling with the textbooks he's holding. He clutches them tighter, as to prove to himself he didn't need the help. _

_They all laugh now and Zhao feels the urge to run away, but what good will that do? They will follow him, because surely, they are much, much, faster._

_He bites his lip and looks anywhere but their eyes. Menacingly, Cheng pushes him and he falls to the ground, books everywhere, with a loud thud. His back hurts and he feels as if he broke something in his leg. Cheng smirks and nails him in the stomach, Zhao biting back the screams that were about to erupt. Hot tears flooded in his eyes. Why are they doing this to him?_

_Blow after Blow, Zhao starts to feel numb. He hears the chants around him and he knows that there is now a circle forming around them. Don't they have classes? Don't have something better to do than watch him fall into misery? Zhao attempts to get up, but it's futile, as Cheng pushed him back down. But then, he sees something, in the corner of his eye. _

_He sees Mei Ying approaching rapidly and he quietly shouts for her to go away, because there's no say in what Cheng would do to her. He sees her point at him and he wonders how the hell she pulled that off without getting slapped or something. He rubs his arm and watches as Cheng turns to him and spits out something inaudible, that only he could hear. _

_"Stay away from her,"_

-xxx-

Cheng smirks in amusement when Liang trips Zhuang using his foot. "Hey! You bastard," Zhuang yells, falling on his stomach, but flipping over all under one second. Liang rolls his eyes and replies, "That's what you get when you run around, causing a ruckus,"

Zhuang _hmmphs_ and crosses his arms and looks away childishly. "Asshole," Zhuang mutters below his breath. "Retard," Liang retorts.

Zhuang looks back and his eyes are full of a playful anger.

"Jackass,"

"Moron,"

"Smartass"

Liang rolls his eyes and counters, "What's with you and my rear end?,"

"Your what?," Zhuang asks, confused. Liang sighs with frustration. "Alright, alright, calm down ladies," Cheng drawls, pushing the two away from each other. Liang scoffs and steps a few steps back. "Ladies?," Zhuang says, aloud, apalled, with his hand on his chest.

Cheng laughs, Liang following quietly. They walk together to around the corridor and Zhuang pipes up, "Hey Cheng. What I miss yesterday?," Confused, he replies, "What?,"

Liang whispers, "Zhao," and Cheng frowns. "Nothing, why?,"

Zhuang shrugs and replies, "Well, you don't really beat anyone up without a reason," Cheng looks out into the courtyard and breathes in a gulp of air. "I know" To tell the truth, he had no idea why he did it either.

-xxx-

Mei Ying stares absently into the empty chair beside her. All day she's been waiting for this period, only to be disappointed. Zhao wasn't here today. Worriedly, she wonders if he was hurt so badly he might've had to go to the hospital. She bites her lip and tries not to linger on it. Mrs. Yu just handed out a surprise quiz on vocabulary and she needed to focus. Actually, she's at the top of this class. She really doesn't need the grade, but if it gets her mind off of Zhao, then it'll have to do for now.

-xxx-

"**Mei Ying!**," She hears Dre call out for her. She stands with Hana outside of the school. "**Hello Dre**," Mei Ying greets, as cheerful as she can get. Beside her Hana clasps her hands together and pulls together a greeting as well. Dre looks at Hana, confused, "**What is **_**she**_** doing here?**"

Hana, offended, scoffs.

"**I was wondering if she could tag along**," Mei Ying mumbles. Well, actually, Hana suggested it, the reason why is unknown. Dre shrugs and gestures for them to keep up. "**Well, then let's go!**," He yells, happily.

Mei Ying smiles and follows after him, Hana by her side, laughing as well.

.

.

.

.

"**Woah, this place is **_**awesome**_," Dre says in amazement, upon entering the arcade. Mei Ying wonders what was so great about it. The male population of her school were crazy about it as well. The only thing she liked really, was the DDR game that no one used in the back. She was fairly good at it too.

She smiles as Dre runs around, looking for a game to play. Beside her Hana chuckles and mumbles, "He's pretty excited. Are you sure this isn't a date? I wouldn't want to impose...," Mei Ying shakes her head. "It's okay," She reassures Hana. Afterward, she walks over to Dre, who is putting his money into the token machine. "**How much did you bring?**," She asks, looking at his bundle of American Money. "**Uh... It's not accepting my money**," He says, awkwardly. She smiles wearily and replies, "**Here. I'll use mine**,"

His eyes widen and he says frantically, "**N-No! That wouldn't be right!**," Mei Ying insists. "**It's okay**," She puts her money into the dispenser and tokens come flying out. She smiles as Dre's eyes are full of excitement and anticipation. "**Alright! Let's do this!**," He shouts, running to the nearest game.

Hana comes up to her and mutters, "Look who's here," Mei Ying automatically turns her head to the entrance to find herself staring at Cheng and his friends. They have not noticed her or Hana and hopefully Dre. She hopes to herself that Cheng will not cause any trouble. She licks her lips in nervousness when Cheng spots her.

_No. I hate him. I hate him_. Mei Ying chants in her head. She tries not to shiver at his apathetic stare. "Hey," He says, looking at Mei Ying. Hana tries to act cool and mutters, "Hi Cheng," He turns to Hana and nods. Mei Ying could _feel_ Hana swooning. She tries to muster up a glare at him, but she is interrupted when Zhuang asks, "What are you _girls_ doing here?,"

Liang laughs in agreement.

"Oh, we're here with...," Hana fades out. She remembered that Dre and Cheng were not on good terms. Cheng stares at Hana, waiting her to finish. "Nevermind," Hana says quickly. She quietly hopes that Mei Ying could save her from Cheng's smoldering gaze. "What are _you_ guys doing here?," Mei Ying counters, trying to defend her and Hana without revealing to them that Dre was there. "Such a stupid question to ask," Liang scoffs.

Mei Ying rolls her eyes. Liang. _Tsk_.

"This is boring, c'mon Cheng," Zhuang tugs Cheng's sleeve. He leaves with his friends as Hana and Mei Ying sigh in relief. "That was stressful," Hana murmurs, wiping her forehead. Mei Ying looks over at Dre, who looks like the happiest boy in the world. Seeing him like this made her think sorrowfully about Zhao.

"Do you know what happened to Zhao?," Mei Ying asks absently. Hana, confused at the sudden change of subject, replies, "..uh.. I don't know.. he wasn't here today,"

"I know that," Mei Ying replies, sighing.

They are startled when Dre pops up out of no where asking, "**What are you guys doing here? C'mon. I have some tokens left for all of us**," Dre pulls away Mei Ying to a shooting game. "**I don't know how to play**," Mei Ying says, embarassed. Dre, trying to be the knight in shining armor, takes this into oppertunity and says, "**Don't worry, I'll teach you**," He smirks, smugly, taking her hands into his. He blushes heavily at their intimate contact.

She doesn't feel anything but his warm hands.

Close, Hana lay lazily against the wall, watching them. _So much for this not being a date_, She thinks, sourly. Sometimes Mei Ying can be so dense.

-xxx-

"Hah! I beat you again!," Zhuang shouts in accomplishment, fist pumping the air. Liang rolls his eyes. "Zhuang, that means you _lost_. How many times do we have to go over this?," Liang points to a symbol on the screen. Zhuang slumps in disappointment. "Again!," He shoots up in confidence. Liang sighs and complies, putting his tokens in the slot, the game continuing.

Cheng smirks at his best friend's antics. He wonders why they're so loyal to him, but then he takes that back, because why wouldn't they be loyal to him? He's the best. He smugly notes that they are kind of like his minions, in a way. More on Zhuang though, because Liang is kind of that aloof type. He cares for them, nonetheless.

He laughs when Zhuang loses for the third time. "This is rigged!," Zhuang yells, pointing accusingly at the game screen, slamming his fist. Liang crosses his arms against his chest and leans against the game. "Sure it is,"

They fight again and Cheng breaks them up and this is what always happens.

Cheng thinks he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

><p>Please review~<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for reviewing the last chapter **Talking-hat** and faithful Anon, haha. I love every review I get. It makes me really happy. Anyways, I'm sorry for the delay, but here's the next chapter! Excuse any typos and such. I'll be sure to get to them later!

* * *

><p>Zhao didn't really think about anything, afterward. He was anxious all 6th period and all he could think about was going home and falling into an eternal sleep. So when the dismissal bell rang, he ran as fast as he could, home, ignoring all the stares he had recieved. He dashed into his house, ignoring the welcoming voice of his overworking mother and flew into his room, plopping himself on his bed.<p>

It hurt though. Flinging himself onto his hard bed. The bruises were beginning to form and oh, _everything ached_. He couldn't bare let his mother see this. See any of it. She works so hard trying to provide for him because his father had left long ago, even before he was born.

He rolls over on his side and looks at his arm. It's purple and ugly and he closes his eyes tightly willing himself to forget about it, because they _(Cheng and them)_ will soon be gone and they will forget about him, like always.

There is a knock on his door and he shoots up and clears his throat. "Y-yeah?," He calls out, raspily. His mother's sweet voice chimes, "Are you alright, Zhao?," She murmurs through the door. He purses his lips and tries to make his voice clearer. "Y-yeah. I-I'm okay!," He says uncertainly.

There's a shuffle behind the door and a pause. "Okay," He hears and then he sighs in relief as she didn't come in. If she did, she would be horrified and she would do anything to get back at the person who hurt him. And he wouldn't want that. Life at school was hell already.

He plops back down on his bed and looks at particularly nothing. Just thinking. After a second or two, he sighs and gets up. "I should take a shower," He says to himself, running a hand through his hair.

He stops then nods, as if he was answering himself.

"Yeah, I should," He agrees.

-xxx-

Mei Ying quietly walks out of the auditorium, with her violin case in her hand. She bites her lip and remembers how her tutor had berated her earlier.

_"__**No, no! It's all wrong. Do it again**__," He gritts out, teeth baring, in a frustrated shout. She furrows her eyebrows and tries again, her pace steady and the notes all perfect. In the middle he shakes his head roughly and makes a gesture with his hands. "__**Wrong. No**__," He paces around the room then looks at her for a second time. "__**I told you to practice. Everything you're doing is all wrong. Put some effort into it, Mei Ying. Or I will have to have a word with your father**__."_

_She looks down and whispers, "__**I'm sorry. I'll do my best this time**__," but you've been doing your best for the past other times and you're becoming tired of this treatment. He doesn't look convinced but he flicks his finger up in the air and mutters, "__**Again**__,"_

_After numerous stops and shouts, you're starting to give up._

She's a generally strong, young, girl, but she knows that her teacher will let her parents know about this and they will be disappointed and she cannot stand that. She can't stand knowing that she had broken the expectations of them, knowing that she had let them down. She walks slowly until she feels a weight on her shoulders. She turns her head to the side and sees Hana's face.

As usual, it's smiling and full of mischief. Hana grins and says, "Mei!," She removes her arm from Mei Ying's shoulder. Mei Ying raises her eyebrow and replies, "Hello," sullenly. Hana sighs and then decides to change the subject. "Did your mom sign the permission slip for the field trip?,"

Mei Ying nods and then pulls out a piece of paper from her bag. "Yeah," She says, showing it to Hana.

Hana nods happily and her walk turns into skipping.

-xxx-

"You're such a loser," Zhuang sticks his tongue out at Liang. Liang scoffs and rolls his eyes. "You must've mistaken me for yourself," Cheng smirks at this, while Zhuang has a look of mock offense. "Asswipe," He mutters, under his breath.

Beside him, Liang laughs quietly and replies, "Again with my ass?,"

Cheng chuckles and Zhuang starts to mumble incoherant things.

"Heyyy, don't we have a field trip tomorrow?," Zhuang asks. Liang raises his eyebrow at the change of his mood. Cheng thinks for a moment then replies, "Yeah. I think we do," Zhuang grins and then does a victory pose. "Good! Because there was this test I had to take tomorrow and now I get to misss ittttt."

"Moron. You're going to have to take the make-up test," Liang says, rolling his eyes at his idiotic choice of a best friend. Zhuang freezes, then he slumps and murmurs, "Oh yeah,"

"What time is practice today?," Cheng asks, looking at something from the side. "5:00. Why?," Liang asks, confused. Cheng always knows the time for practice. "Just asking," Cheng says, still looking afar.

Liang follows his line of sight and somehow wishes he hadn't.

"Don't," Liang warns, putting a hand on Cheng's shoulder. Cheng slaps it away and snaps, "Don't what?," and walks away. Liang then turns back to what he was looking at and shakes his head.

-xxx-

Zhao hesitantly walks around campus, trying his hardest not to be detected. He holds his books tightly and is constantly on the look out for Cheng and his friends. He's not usually paranoid, but his earlier encounter changed a lot of things lately.

He shuffles through the halls, trying not to make eye contact, not that anyone else was looking. He bites his lip when he sees familiar pig-tails and a smile. "Zhao!," Mei Ying exclaims, surprised. Zhao knits his eyebrows together and tries to walk away, but she wouldn't budge. "You weren't here yesterday. Are you alright?," She asks, concerned. He would've stayed at home even longer, but he couldn't miss his studies.

"I'm okay," He replies, quietly, looking down. Mei Ying brought trouble to him. _I'm supposed to be staying away from her_, Zhao remembers the small threat he had recieved from Cheng. It was somewhat like a final blow.

Mei Ying nods, grateful that he was alright, but still worried and uncertain. "Want me to walk you to your next class?," She asks, trying to be helpful. He shakes his head and says, "N-not, it's okay," quickly. She frowns, but is still persistant. "It's okay, I have a free period next," She insists.

He naws on his lower lip and tries to calm down the battle within himself. He's scared because all of a sudden, he feels daggers being thrown at his back. He tries not to turn around and see who it is.

"Um... okay," He finally agrees. She smiles faintly and takes her place beside him. He's confused when she looks behind them and accomplishment and confidence come flooding across her face.

-xxx-

_"Ma. Can you sign my field trip slip?," Cheng asks, quietly, handing the paper to his mother, who was washing the dishes. His mother turns to him slightly and smiles, "Of course. Where are you going?," _

_He purses his lips and looks down at the paper. "The Forbidden City," He answers. His mother nods knowingly and wipes her hands on a towel. He hands her a pen and she signs her name quickly. When she hands him back the paper, she turns back to the dishes and he's already half-way up the stairs. _

-xxx-

Dre listens behind the door, the sweet symphony of Mei Ying's violin entering his ear, causing him to be mesmerized. He listens intently, his ear layed hard against the wooden, intricately designed, double doors of the auditorium.

But he is interrupted, when he hears multiple footsteps and laughter. He turns around quickly and his eyes widen when he sees Cheng and his friends. He backs away, into the corner and looks around. He has no escape route.

Cheng smiles teasingly, "**Hey!**,"He says and his friends laugh. Like always, they are slightly flanking behind him. After a second, the laughter on Cheng's face disappates and he is suddenly serious. They corner him, getting closer, and his hands are against the walls, trying to find refuge. Dre flinches, when Cheng steps closer, threatningly.

He is glaring at Dre, hard, while Liang and Zhuang take his backpack, which has fallen on the floor, and dump out everything in it. Dre does not even try to look. Cheng's glare was scary enough.

Dre wants to run, but he knows it's useless. He looks around, frantically, trying to find someone, but the four of them are alone. Except for Mei Ying, but she doesn't even know he's there. The door is their barrier.

Cheng gives him the death glare again and says, "**Stay away from us**," He looks over to the door and then back to Dre. "**All of us**," Meekly, Dre nods, but he knows that Cheng did not see it. They leave, kicking his backpack around, Liang and Zhuang laughing.

Dre could still see Cheng's livid eyes, in his mind.

-xxx-

Mei Ying looks down at the shirt of her uniform. She never liked the color orange. And it didn't look nice on her, she concluded. She waits, out front, with the rest of her classmates, for the bus to arrive. She notices Cheng over to the left with his friends. She observed him for a while. _The uniform looks fine on him..._ She notices her mistake and shakes her head. She can't be thinking of Cheng! He's a bastard.

She sighs and is startled when Hana appears out of no where and shouts, "Meiii!," like she always does. Mei Ying smiles, slightly, and replies, "Hana," and they both giggle. Hana frowns and murmurs, "Is it okay if I partner with someone else today? My friend won't stop bugging me. She keeps saying that I spend more time with you, than with her,"

Mei Ying nods and Hana smiles and walks away. She was originally going to sit by herself anyway, so she didn't really mind much. When the bus arrives, Mei Ying tries to look around for Dre, but she does not know where he is.

She bites the inner of her cheek and enters the bus, looking for an empty seat. It's almost full, considering she went out looking for Dre.

When she sees Zhao, sitting alone, she decided to take that risk again. Plus, he looked lonely.

"Hello," She says, as happily as she could musk up. Zhao looks half-scared and surprised. "M-mei Ying," He mumbles. She nods excitedly and wonders why the orange uniforms look better on the boys. _Or maybe just on Zhao and Cheng_. She blushes at her last thought.

"So... are you excited?," She asks, trying to save their conversation. He nods, reluctantly. She sees his uncomfortability and scoots an inch away from him, her closer to the edge of the seat. She notices how he relaxes afterward and she too, relaxes too.

It's a tense ride to the Forbidden City, but she liked the silence and the prescence of Zhao. It was oddly... calming.

When she the bus stops and they are to take turns getting up, her eyes widen when she sees Cheng horizontal from her. She did not notice him at all. Was he there from the start? He is looking at her with an emotion she couldn't fathom, but her classmates were already irritated from the hotness of the bus, so she hurries up and scurries out of the bus, looking back to see it Zhao was following.

He was, but his face was full of trepidation. She was slightly bewildered of this and was left wondering what had Cheng done to him.

-xxx-

It is not until the middle of the trip had she seen Dre. He was walking far off to the side of her and she was curious about where he had been, so she joined him. She pokes him on the shoulder and tries to smile. He is astonished and he almost shouts in fright, but he didn't. She sees how he doesn't look at her eyes. "**Hey.. Mei Ying**," She hears him say, but it is so quiet.

She raises her eyebrow at this and greets him back. "**Hello Dre**,"

It is quiet now and the awkward silence is killing the both of them. "**I haven't seen you all day. Where have you been?**," She asks. He tightens his lips and replies, "**Y'know. Around**," She tilts her head at his answer, but doesn't comment on it. He laughs nervously and she wonders what in the world was happening with Dre and Zhao.

Their tour guide was speaking loudly out of a bullhorn, so her attention turned to her. "**Alright now, everyone, we are going to have a break and you are welcome to eating lunch on the Quad, or you could visit some of the exhibits**," When Mei Ying turns to ask Dre if he'd like to eat with her, he is gone.

She bites her lip and curses Cheng for scaring off her friends.

-xxx-

At the least, the ride back to School wasn't nearly as awkward. Zhao had actually brought himself to talk to her, much to her enjoyment. She liked talking to Zhao. It was somewhat like... intellectual stimulation. "I found that fieldtrip quite boring, actually," He murmurs. They are sitting closer together now and she wonders what was the change of thought.

"Why?," She asks, but she herself didn't really like the fieldtrip either. And the reason was definitely not Dre.

Zhao looks out the window and says, "Well, our tour guide was repetitive and she kept on saying the same things over and over. We would've learned more by reading the book, in class," He points out. She nods, but says, "What about the interaction? We got to see the real thing. Doesn't that make up for the bad tour guide?,"

He smiles a little bit and mumbles, "Maybe" He looks at her and she smiles back at him.

-xxx-

Somewhere towards the end of the ride, Mei Ying was shocked to see Dre sitting two seats behind her, on the other row. She was also bewildered to see Cheng two seats behind _him_, with Liang sitting right behind Dre. And Cheng had this look on his face that she didn't like. She furrows her eyesbrows at the two of them and watches as Cheng conspires with Liang and Zhuang quietly.

She is a little worried when Liang moves over next to Zhuang and Cheng takes his place. She sees a mischievous look appear on his face and she wants to get up and march on over to him, but that would be against the rules and she'd surely get in trouble.

Thankfully, Mrs. Po was looking and Cheng sat back, away from Dre's clueless head. She sighs in relief and remembers to thank Mrs. Po later on today. She turns back, facing forward, her fist unclenching.

"Is everything alright?," Zhao asks, confused. Mei Ying looks at him and says, "Yeah," and smiles.

* * *

><p>Please Review!<p>

I'm warming up to the idea Zhao/Mei Ying, but don't worry! We all know which pairing will prevail! (..or do we?)


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for the reviews! Oh and I'm truly sorry for the delay. I became a little bored of the fandom, but after I recently watched the movie again, my love for this pairing regained! Also, I hope none of you are shocked of the outcome of this chapter. It'll all turn up in the end, I promise!

* * *

><p>It's a bit awkward, really. Or maybe <em>really <em>awkward.

About once a week, Cheng's and Mei Ying's family would get together and eat out at a restaraunt or simply just have dinner together. It's like a tradition of some sort and it is how they both have come to know each other. But now that they are older, they do not talk at the table. Or maybe they do and Cheng just doesn't notice. And maybe, along the way, Mei Ying just gave up.

But this time, it was just unbearable for her. As always, they are forced to sit next to one another. She hadn't spoken at all and he doesn't seem to be listening to the chatter their parents are making. So, she resorts to creating their own little side-conversation (well, on her part, since Cheng doesn't seem to acknowledge her prescence).

"Um. Cheng?," She began, trying not to fidget too much. She stares at her hands, that are folded perfectly on her lap. He grunts in response. "What did you order?," she attempts, timidly.

She doesn't even know why she's talking to him. It took her so long to convince herself that she hated him, now all that hard work was just falling into shambles. He looks at her with dead eyes and then whispers, "Nothing," harshly. That was a hint to go away, but she ignores it. "Nothing?," She claims, mock confusion apparent on her porcelain face, as she almost smiles in hilarity. He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. "Go away," He snapped.

She exhales heavily and insisted, "Why're you so grumpy?,"

"Leave me—,"

"Cheng, Mei Ying, the food is here. Eat now, you could talk later," Cheng's mother urges them, pushing the two their plates. Cheng immediately looks away from Mei Ying and does as he is told.

She stares at him from the corner of her eye, wondering what was that about.

-xxx-

Lunch.

Cheng doesn't eat the food at the cafeteria, because he deems it unworthy and disgusting. He dislikes his food to be touched by lower classmen, which is absolutely preposterous.

So, because of this, usually at Lunch time, he'd sit with his friends and they'd laugh about something that happened the day before or Cheng could exploit some of his moves. Sometimes they'd even talk to each other about problems, but in the most 'manly' sort of way possible.

Today, Cheng, Liang, and Zhuang are sitting alone at an isolated table in the corner of the cafeteria, just for them. "Guess what?," Zhuang announces, drearily, to his best friends. He is sitting next to Liang while Cheng sits across from them.

"What?," Liang sighs, wondering what horrible thing he did now.

He shakes his head rapidly and replies, "I passed the make-up test!," A grin on his face while he fist pumps.

Cheng and Liang are silent.

"...this is where you cheer for me y'know...," Zhuang mumbles, his eyes half-lidded with disappointment and annoyance. Liang mutters, "Yay," monotonously, laced with a little bit of sarcasm as Cheng tries to surpress his smile. "Fine then! Forget you guys," Zhuang shouts, throwing his hands into the air in frustration. "You didn't cheat, right?," Cheng inquires, laughter in his eyes.

"N-no!," Zhuang shouts, placing his hands on his chest in mock offense. Liang sighs and facepalms. "You did," He states as a matter-of-factly. Zhuang merely shakes his head in defiance and stands his ground. "Nope! I did all of it, by myself!,"

"What a good boy," Liang rolls his eyes in amusement. Zhuang sighs, "Yeah, yeah, whatever," He crosses his arms.

After some silence, "Oh god. I just remembered what Friday is," He shouts and flails half angry and nervous. Liang furrows his brow and asks, "What is it?,"

"Valentines Day!," He groans in disdain, burrowing his head into his arms. "Do you know how many girls asked me to the Qixi festival?," He yells, a disgusted look appearing on his face. He shivers and makes a choking sound before Liang cuts in, "It's a pointless holiday. It's nothing but a waste of time,"

Zhuang nods in agreement then turns to the boy staring off to space.

"What do you think about Valentines Day, Cheng?," He asks, eager for their leaders opinion. Cheng turns to them, blinks, and doesn't reply. Zhuang looks at him and he in return, shrugs, unknowingly.

The bell rings and the trio gets up from their table and continues their conversation while walking to their next period together. All of sudden, they see someone approaching fastly. The figure stops in front of Cheng.

"Uh... Cheng?," It's the girl who is around Mei Ying all the time. Her face is very red and she is looking at everything but him. _Why is she here?_ He thinks, looking at Liang and Zhuang. But they are too busy figuring out who she was.

He retorts, "What do you want?," in an indifferent but harsh tone. He wasn't all in a hurry to get to class, but somehow he felt as if he needed to be there. He is snapped out of his reverie when the girl mumbles, "Um.. W-would you like to... um, go t-to the Qixi Festival with m-me?," She bites her lip and self-conciously fixes her hair, running her fingers through the black strands.

Zhuang, who is on his left, grins and nudges him on the side. He ignores the gesture and raises his eyebrow at the girl. Liang laughs quietly when the girl's smile falters bit.

Cheng doesn't need to look at her for second time before he answers, "No," and walks around her, like she is in the way. Zhuang gives her a mocking laugh and then runs to follow the others.

Standing alone in the hallway, Hana trembles a little.

-xxx-

"You know, the exam was surprisingly easy, considering how hard they made us study," Mei Ying murmurs, twirling a piece of her hair around her forefinger. Zhao nods, listening diligently. She continues, "I mean, I honestly thought I was going to fail, but I was one of the first people to finish early," He slips a small smile at his animate friend and nods some more, easily agreeing with her.

"Enough about me. How was your day, Zhao?,"

He blinks, a little startled at the sudden question. "I am fine," and she nods repeatedly, making a smacking sound with her lips. She knew how reserved Zhao was. He never really _wanted_ to talk to her. She felt as if he was hiding something her or maybe he was just trying to be nice, so he put up with her constant chattiness?

She didn't know. But the period is about to start, so she spins her body around to face forward, staring upon the dark-green chalkboard and the transparent writing on it. Behind her, she hadn't noticed the stares a certain hot-head was giving her and her companion.

-xxx-

He tries to refrain from twitching in his seat. Everytime she smiled or everytime his mouth opened and _then_ she smiled, it irritated him. And it took all he had not to walk over there and beat Zhao to a bloody pulp. Swerving in his seat to make himself comfortable, he crosses his arms against his chest, as if it was a straight-jacket for himself. His obsidian eyes averted to the left, away from the quiet boy and the girl who plays the violin.

His finger impatiently tapping against the wooden desk was no help at all. His onyx eyes turn towards the two again. He pushes his chair back, ready to get up.

A hand appears on his arm and Cheng looks to the side. Liang shakes his head and entreats, "Don't do anything you'd regret," while looking down. He doesn't like looking into Cheng's livid eyes. It's like looking into hell itself. Once the anger in Cheng's eyes subsides, he replies, "What are you talking about?," as if he didn't know a thing.

Liang breathes in heavily at his friends stubborness but does not say anything of it. Cheng turns away and sits back down, tucking his seat in, so he's sitting much more closer to the desk.

It was impossible not to hear the gossiping voices of the females sitting at the table next to his. Their screechy voices and their giggling was enough to put him on more of an edge.

_"Did you watch the new episode of Wǒ de nǚhái de qián nányǒu?"_

There's that annoying giggle again_. _

_"Oh my gosh! I can't believe that Shang used Chun-hua to make Meilin jealous!,"_

A simultaneous high-pitched squeal.

_"But it totally paid off in the end! Meilin finally realized that she belonged to Shang and not Mao,"_

Cheng blinks, listening intently to their conversation, leaning towards them as their gossiping turned into whispers. _"but you forgot the twist! You see, Meilin is actually in love with_—," Abruptly, a look of consideration flashed upon his face, before Liang poked his shoulder and sent him back to the real world. "Pay attention. Mrs. Yu is approaching us," He tells, curtly, below his breath.

Cheng nods, understandingly, and the whispers ceased. But in the back of his mind, the knobs were churning.

-xxx-

Mei Ying happily exits the classroom, her pig-tails bouncing after her. She waves to Zhao who leaves to the other way. Clutching her notebook in her arms and jumping a little bit to regain her balance, she's not at all surprised when a cascade of ebony hair appears in her peripheral vision.

"Mei!," Hana greets, exasperately, as if she had just ran a mile. Mei Ying smiles politely at her and then lets her weave their arms together. Soon, they're resuming with their usual antics. Hana puts her left foot out, while Mei Ying does the same, as if they are marching in a parade.

They laugh together.

"Hey. Anyone ask you to the festival yet?," Hana quieried, giving Mei Ying a suggestive look. She tilts her head in confusion. "What festival?," She answers, innocently. Hana sighs and rolls her eyes. "The Qixi festival, silly! Did Zhao ask you yet?,"

"I had forgotten about that," Mei Ying whispers, wistfully, staring off into space. She continues after she regains her composure, "And no. I haven't been asked yet. Thankfully," She sighs.

Hana gasps a little but is cut off when a pandemonium of footsteps echoes in the open hallway. Mei Ying looks up and sees Cheng and his gang quickly approaching them. She observes the unemotional face of Cheng, whilst he briskly steps towards them. He looks at her briefly before fixating his gaze upon the girl beside her.

Stopping in front of them he licks his lips, almost nervously. Liang and Zhuang, loyal as they are, looked more confused then ever. Especially, Mei Ying who's becoming more and more curious about why Cheng is staring down Hana.

"I'll go with you," Cheng utters, reluctance and hesitation following the little tones of his voice. Looking at Mei Ying once last time, he walks away.

* * *

><p>Please review!<p> 


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